Summer 2014 Class Descriptions

1-4 credit(s), H/P/L/F GradedRequirement: SkillsConcentration(s): LLM in International Law (LLMI), International Law (LLMC), Public Interest Law (JD)

Students gain practical experience through interviewing, counseling, and representing clients with immigration-related problems. Students complete forms and draft documents on behalf of clients. Students also attend and/or participate at hearings at Immigration Court. Weekly meetings are held with the clinic supervisor to discuss immigration law, practical application and casework. The clinic is graded on a 4-tier Pass-Fail basis. No Prerequisites.

3 credit(s), Standard Letter GradedRequirement: WritingConcentration(s): Intellectual Property Law (LLMG), Intellectual Property (LLMC), Business and Corporate Law (LLMC), LLM in Business and Corporate Law (LLMB), Intellectual Property (JD), Business and Corporate Law (JD)Recommended Class(es): IP Survey or any course in patent law

The best intellectual property and tech-focused corporate lawyers have a thorough understanding of the ways clients use and are affected by IP in their daily business. This seminar will provide an introduction to how patents, copyrights, trademarks, and trade secrets (1) are used by IP owners to further their business strategies and (2) affect non-IP owners, who must often license IP rights at substantial cost. Specific topics include: the role of trademarks in promoting product “branding”; the use of patents in commercializing inventions; the effects of trade secrecy on R & D investment and employee mobility; IP and the emerging field of “microinnovation”; the effects of copyright on Internet business models; the use of IP by startup companies; private markets for buying, selling, and licensing IP rights; the role of patents in biotech deals; copyrights in the entertainment industry; and trademarks and “luxury” goods. The course will be co-taught by a law professor (Sichelman) and a business school professor (Saucet). The majority of the course will consist of lectures and classroom discussions. The only assignment is a paper, which students will present at the end of the course. Prerequisites: None. Either a course in intellectual property law or some work experience at a technology company is recommended, but not required.

Legal and ethical principles involving international trade in cultural property (works of art, artifacts, archaeological remains). The movement of art across international borders in time of war, colonial periods and occupation. Fakes; incorrect attribution; works of dubious provenance; stolen and expropriated works; return and repatriation, including litigation problems; import and export controls; tariffs; loans; legal relationships between artists, collectors, galleries, auctioneers and museums; and artists' rights and responsibilities, including copyright, trademark, the rights of publicity and privacy, moral rights, re-sale royalties, and taxes. The final exam will be held on Thursday, June 19, 2014 at 9:00 am.

National and international laws that apply to international business transactions, like international sales law, letters of credit, international litigation and commercial arbitration, import and export controls, intellectual property licensing and distributorships, and international antitrust. The final exam will be held on Friday, August 1, 2014 at 9:00 am.

Note: Class meets M,T,W, TH & F from 11:05 am - 1:00 pm. This class may count as a required course for the International Law Concentration (JD)

International markets abound for works of authorship (such as literature, music, films, software). Digital media (such as the internet) have augmented these international exchanges, and made them pervasive. International disputes inevitably result. We will begin with an overview of the structure and norms of the principal treaties (Berne Convention, TRIPs Accord, WIPO Copyright Treaties); examine their implementation in the domestic copyright laws of the U.S. and the European Union; and the private international law questions that arise, notably as a result of divergences in domestic norms. We will address jurisdiction over remote parties (judicial competence) as well as which country’s copyright laws apply (legislative competence), and the importance of territoriality. The final exam will be held on Friday, June 20, 2014 at 9:00 am.

In virtually every area of cross-border practice, some rudimentary knowledge about the laws governing business organizations (and particularly corporations) proves helpful. This course provides much of that foundation, examining the laws governing the modern business associations. We will cover a number of topics, including corporate formation, corporate identity, rights of creditors, fiduciary duties, corporate governance, executive compensation, mergers and acquisitions and securities fraud. Our emphasis will be on how global firms navigate the legal and regulatory waters of different jurisdictions. Consequently, our key goal will be to understand the rudimentary structure of each of the above topics, and how the topics interrelate – in particular how comparative company law mediates relationships among different “constituencies” of the firm, including owners, managers, creditors, employees, customers, and suppliers. The final exam will be held on Thursday, July 31, 2014 at 9:00 am.

In the brief span of 60 years, the idea of human rights has grown tremendously. What began as a marginal utopian discourse has today arguably become “the dominant moral narrative for thinking about world affairs.” At the same time, rights remain controversial and contested, and gaps in enforcement of human rights norms are conspicuous. This course examines the actors, organizations and ideas behind these developments, as well as the vast challenges we face today in attempting to enforce human rights norms globally. The course begins by examining the philosophical and political bases for the international human rights idea, probing the ongoing debate over universality, culture, and human rights. As part of this inquiry, we also examine the normative pillars of international human rights law. In the second part of the course, we will analyze various dimensions and challenges of human rights enforcement, including the main United Nations and regional human rights systems, prosecutions and transitional justice, the advocacy work of NGOs and human rights activists, and the new concept of the “responsibility to protect,” or R2P. In the final part of the semester, we will engage in a more in-depth examination of several distinct human rights issues, including torture and women’s rights. In all this, the course aims to provide students with knowledge of human rights at the level of intellectual theory and discourse, as well as a realm of concrete, “real world” action, controversy, and struggle. The final exam will be held on Friday, August 1, 2014 at 9:00 am.

Skills and theory of both competitive and cooperative international negotiating will be learned through simulation and experience. The final exam will be held on Thursday, June 19, 2014. (Program dates: May 26-June 20, 2014)

Note: Class meets M,T,W,Th & F - 9:00-10:50am

View by Semester

Click on a semester below, then narrow your search by choosing a sub-item.